Need advice on next steps of Career (3 YoE) /u/Captain_Levi_00 CSCQ protests reddit

I am currently an Associate Developer working for a medium sized UK company. It seems as though if I don’t attend the office twice a week next year, I won’t get promoted or probably fired. My manager literally said this to me. I can’t attend the office as I live over 2 hours away (hired during covid so started remote). I am moving to an arguably worst team with not much career growth.

I have worked at this current company full-time for just over a year so they can technically fire me for any reason due to being employed for less than two years (UK Law). I worked for them 2 years prior as a contractor.

I also don’t want to live near the office (in London) as I only earn £38k so won’t be able to save anything. I think it is clear to me I need to look for other jobs unless I can get an exception for my disability but I am not too hopeful.

I made a post recently about moving to China with my girlfriend here: https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/1hd8pjz/is_this_career_suicide_wanting_to_take_a_break_to/

A link to my resume too for more details about me: https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringResumes/comments/1hgb2a0/3_yoe_associate_developer_looking_for_software/?sort=new

A summary is that I would live in her city for a few months and live off savings (15k, so have plenty to live in China for a few months), apply for jobs, grind Leetcode and anything else needed to find a better job.

My main concerns is that I haven’t properly looked for new jobs since graduating university 3 years ago, so I am a bit scared. I will probably have a resume gap, but people have said I can create my own LTD company, employ myself there, then complete portfolio work and then put that on my Resume to avoid a career gap.

I am open to all advice, I got some good advice on my last post recommending against it. But things have changed now considering I probably can’t sustain my current job.

I am thinking just to try to drag this job out for as long as possible while heavily applying for other jobs so I still earn money. But if I exhaust it till I am fired then I will definitely get a bad reference if I get asked for one and in background checks they would say they wouldn’t hire me again. But considering they are lowering my performance score for not even attending the office, they would probably already say they wouldn’t hire me again… I can ask colleagues I have worked with for references but I am not sure if companies allow you to get references from colleagues.

Another completely different move could be studying a Masters degree for a year. I could go to a good University, then it might open me up to graduate roles at large big tech firms. As right now I don’t really have enough experience to apply for mid-level roles at these firms and I’m no longer a graduate.

Any advice is appreciated, I have some options I can try but would really like some insight and advice on what’s best to do next.

I am currently an Associate Developer working for a medium sized UK company. It seems as though if I don’t attend the office twice a week next year, I won’t get promoted or probably fired. My manager literally said this to me. I can’t attend the office as I live over 2 hours away (hired during covid so started remote). I am moving to an arguably worst team with not much career growth.

I have worked at this current company full-time for just over a year so they can technically fire me for any reason due to being employed for less than two years (UK Law). I worked for them 2 years prior as a contractor.

I also don’t want to live near the office (in London) as I only earn £38k so won’t be able to save anything. I think it is clear to me I need to look for other jobs unless I can get an exception for my disability but I am not too hopeful.

I made a post recently about moving to China with my girlfriend here: https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/1hd8pjz/is_this_career_suicide_wanting_to_take_a_break_to/

A link to my resume too for more details about me: https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringResumes/comments/1hgb2a0/3_yoe_associate_developer_looking_for_software/?sort=new

A summary is that I would live in her city for a few months and live off savings (15k, so have plenty to live in China for a few months), apply for jobs, grind Leetcode and anything else needed to find a better job.

My main concerns is that I haven’t properly looked for new jobs since graduating university 3 years ago, so I am a bit scared. I will probably have a resume gap, but people have said I can create my own LTD company, employ myself there, then complete portfolio work and then put that on my Resume to avoid a career gap.

I am open to all advice, I got some good advice on my last post recommending against it. But things have changed now considering I probably can’t sustain my current job.

I am thinking just to try to drag this job out for as long as possible while heavily applying for other jobs so I still earn money. But if I exhaust it till I am fired then I will definitely get a bad reference if I get asked for one and in background checks they would say they wouldn’t hire me again. But considering they are lowering my performance score for not even attending the office, they would probably already say they wouldn’t hire me again… I can ask colleagues I have worked with for references but I am not sure if companies allow you to get references from colleagues.

Another completely different move could be studying a Masters degree for a year. I could go to a good University, then it might open me up to graduate roles at large big tech firms. As right now I don’t really have enough experience to apply for mid-level roles at these firms and I’m no longer a graduate.

Any advice is appreciated, I have some options I can try but would really like some insight and advice on what’s best to do next.